Dry Ridge is a
home rule-class city in
Grant County,
Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 2,191 at the
2010 census,
up from 1,995 at the
2000 census. From around 1910 to 1960, the city's economy was dominated by business related to its mineral water wells, purported to have healing properties.
Geography
Dry Ridge is located north of the center of Grant County at (38.682242, -84.596370).
It is bordered to the south by the city of
Williamstown, the
county seat.
Interstate 75 passes through Dry Ridge, with access from Exit 159. I-75 leads north to
Cincinnati and south to
Lexington.
U.S. Route 25
U.S. Route 25 (US 25) is a north–south United States Highway that runs for in the southern and midwestern US. Its southern terminus is in Brunswick, Georgia, from where it proceeds mostly due north, passing through the cities of Augusta, Georg ...
(Main Street) runs through the center of Dry Ridge, leading north to
Crittenden and south to the center of Williamstown.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, Dry Ridge has a total area of , of which , or 0.72%, is water.
History
The community now known as Dry Ridge was settled about 1792 as "Campbell's Station" near a spring said to have medicinal qualities.
A post office called "Dry Ridge" was established in 1815 at an inn. Dry Ridge takes its name from a ridge surrounded by inns where travelers stopped for water before proceeding.
In 1909, the city was incorporated, the last incorporated in Grant County. That same year, a creamery company found mineral water which was believed to have medical properties. During the early part of the 20th century, Dry Ridge was the home of Kentucky Carlsbad Mineral Water Bottling Company, and home of the Carlsbad Hotel completed in 1911.
People came to Dry Ridge from all over the eastern United States to take the
mineral water of what was known as the Kentucky Carlsbad Springs, although it was not a spring, but a well.
The hotel was destroyed by fire on February 25, 1927.
In 1937, a
water distribution system
A water distribution system is a part of water supply network with components that carry potable water from a centralized treatment plant or wells to consumers to satisfy residential, commercial, industrial and fire fighting requirements.
Defini ...
was created with water from
Williamstown, Kentucky's lake.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 1,995 people, 771 households, and 535 families residing in the city. The
population density was 428.2 people per square mile (165.3/km
2). There were 861 housing units at an average density of 184.8 per square mile (71.3/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.19%
White, 0.55%
African American, 0.10%
Native American, 1.30%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.20% from
other races, and 0.65% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 771 households, out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 18.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,647, and the median income for a family was $32,202. Males had a median income of $38,000 versus $23,000 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $14,568. About 21.0% of families and 23.5% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 39.0% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Grant County students are served by
Grant County Middle School and
Grant County High School, both located in Dry Ridge.
Notable people
*
Lulu Vere Childers, African-American music educator
*
Skeeter Davis (Mary Frances Penick, 1931–2004), country-pop (or
Nashville sound) singer best known for the song
"The End of the World"
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification system, Dry Ridge has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Climate Summary for Dry Ridge, Kentucky
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References
External links
City of Dry Ridge official website
{{authority control
Cities in Kentucky
Cities in Grant County, Kentucky